It is known that water can cause extensive damage in homes or buildings or the like when the integrity of a water system therein is compromised. Anyone who has ever experienced loss resulting from leaks or burst pipes or malfunctioning appliances etc. is acutely aware of the problem.
It is also known to provide valves and/or actuators for use in controlling fluid flow at local and remote locations.
A Patent to Purvis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,162 discusses the problem and provides one approach to protecting against water damage by applying a water shut off ball valve adapted to a 90 degree open to shut rotation, and which is caused to operate by receipt of electrical pulses received thereby from a transmitter when a pair of adjacently located electrodes detect the presence of water therebetween.
Additional known Patents are:    U.S. Pat. No. 7,549,435 to Walter which describes systems and methods for correcting a leak;    U.S. Pat. No. 7,403,839 to Kaplan which describes a water shut-off system;    U.S. Pat. No. 6,812,848 to Candele describes a water leak mitigation system;    U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,788 to Diduck describes a liquid and/or gas leak detection and automatic shut-off system;    U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,529 to Boyd describes a leak detection device and methods of constructing and utilizing same.
An application, US2009/0207031 published Aug. 20, 2009 by Barth et al., describes a water leak detection and surveillance system and method.
Another application, US 2006/0191323 published Aug. 31, 2006 by Garabedian et al., describes an automated system for detection of gas an water leaks etc.
Yet another application, US 2003/0066340 published Apr. 10, 2003 by Hassenflug describes a fluid detection and automatic shut off valve.
And another application, US 2002/0033759 by Morello describes a system and method for water leak detection and suppression.
Even in view of the prior art, need remains for improved systems and method of their application which are directed to prevention of water damage in homes and buildings or the like, and for valves and actuators with the capability of providing notice to those in charge of maintaining the valves and actuators when maintenance or replacement should be accomplished.